Bunyaville Conservation Park

Bunyaville Conservation Park is a block of dry eucalypt forest at Everton Hills, roughly 15 km north west of the Brisbane CBD, and it is one of the few Queensland conservation parks where dogs are allowed at all. That permission comes with a hard line through the middle of it: dogs belong on the shared trails and the designated walking tracks, and are not permitted on the mountain bike trails.

The walk. The circuit most people do links Ring Road and Bunker Road for about 5.6 km, which AllTrails grades moderate and times at an hour and a half. These are wide forestry-style tracks with steady undulation rather than real climbs, running under open eucalypt canopy most of the way. The network is bigger than the loop, so you can stretch it out or cut it short at most junctions, and the tracks are graded well enough that distance is the only thing making it moderate.

The rules. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service manages Bunyaville, and its position is specific. Dogs are allowed along the shared trails and designated walking tracks only, must be on a leash, and dog waste has to be bagged and carried out of the park. Dogs are not permitted on the mountain bike trails, which are marked and which cross and parallel the walking network in several places, so the junction signs are the thing to read here. This is not a technicality: the bike trails are built for speed and blind corners, and a leashed dog on one is a collision waiting to happen.

What it is like. Dry, open forest with a lot of light coming through it, which makes for a warmer walk than the canopy suggests. Koalas use the park and are occasionally spotted from the tracks, along with the usual noisy cast of lorikeets and kookaburras. It is close enough to suburbia to be busy on a weekend, and quiet enough on a weekday morning that you will have long stretches to yourself.

Water. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service states plainly that drinking water is not provided at Bunyaville. There is no creek worth calling a swimming spot either, so carry water for both of you. This is what catches people out in a Brisbane summer, because the forest reads as shady and is not.

Hazards. The park lists ticks, snakes, heat, strong winds and mountain bike riders among the things to plan for. Ticks are the one dog owners underestimate: check ears, armpits and between the toes when you get back to the car. Heat is the other, from October through March.

Getting there. The main entry and day-use area are off Old Northern Road at Everton Hills, with parking, picnic tables and toilets. The entrance gate is open 6 am to 6.30 pm and is locked outside those hours, so plan around the afternoon lock rather than the morning one. Buses run along Old Northern Road, with the closest stop at Hamilton Road and a short walk in.

Nearby with the dogs. Sylvia Gibbs Park Fenced Dog Park is the closest place to let the lead off, with Bleakley Park Fenced Dog Park and Fairhaven Place Dog Park both a few minutes on. For coffee afterwards, Deja Bru Cafe and Molten Toffee are the near ones.

When to go. Winter, comfortably. From April to September this is a straightforward walk at any hour of the morning; in summer, be finished by eight. Good for big runners who need kilometres without technical ground.

Sources

• About | Bunyaville Conservation Park | Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service · parks.qld.gov.au
• Visiting safely | Bunyaville Conservation Park · parks.qld.gov.au
• Dogs on leash trails in Bunyaville Conservation Park · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.